1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an integral metal firewood splitting wedge or tool that may be used readily with a sledgehammer in splitting firewood. More particularly, the invention relates to a metal splitting tool which may be used at one time to split logs or billets of wood of all types, kinds and different hardnesses into generally uniform quarters more rapidly and easily than similar logs may be split into quarters using the long known and traditional single wedge.
Further, the quarters thus split at one time ordinarily are more uniform for easy stacking than quarters split using a traditional single wedge.
In addition, the invention relates to a metal quartering wood splitter which may be relatively easily and rapidly driven to split say 2-foot long logs, for example, having diameters of from 10 or 12 inches to say 20 or more inches, two to three times faster than similar logs or billets may be split with the traditional single blade splitting wedge.
Also, the invention relates to a new quartering splitting wedge construction which I have discovered does not become stuck in the log during splitting, and does not tend to fly out during sledge-driving, thus reducing the likelihood of injury to the user.
Finally, the invention relates to a new integral metal quartering splitter wedge or tool which is characterized by having all of the features described.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many types and kinds of splitting wedges are known which have been used for splitting firewood logs or billets usually in 2-foot lengths and preferably in quarters.
The traditional single wide blade wedge is somewhat difficult to drive into certain types of hard and dense woods. Sometimes in splitting larger diameter logs, the traditional single wedge may become stuck in attempting to make the initial split into halves. Further, it is very difficult to position and hold a half-split piece while attempting to drive a single wedge to again split the half-split piece. Frequently, the half-split piece upsets, or the wedge flies out in attempting to start the split. In any event, quarter splitting of large logs or billets is a difficult, tedious and time-consuming task.
The prior art contains examples of four winged or bladed splitters intended for use in quarter splitting wood logs, examples of which are U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,175,601, 4,209,046 and 2,286,586.
The wedge tool of U.S. Pat. No. 4,175,601 has four tapered wedge blades extending substantially 90.degree. apart and the blades have knife edges angled upwardly outwardly from the same axial location around a projecting conically pointed starter. It has been found that this type of tool is difficult to start. All four blades must simultaneously enter the wood in the center of the billet, which presents great resistance to such starting and driving. The wood may tend to split in half.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,209,046 essentially illustrates a typical traditional wide blade wide-tapered wedge having two thin, flat lateral wings extending from the main full width wedge, and having outwardly downwardly angled knife edges. Such thin wing blades are relatively weak as compared with the main full width wedge body and may not stand the abuse of sledgehammer driving and may become bent or torn from the main wedge. The tool has no starter portion and nothing to assist in stabilizing the initial driving of the tool during wedge entry resistance.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,286,586 shows several forms of cross wedges each form being fundamentally the same as the construction in U.S. Pat. No. 4,209,046. That is, the tool has a main full width wide angled traditional wedge shape from which narrow substantially flat wings extend at each side at right angles to the main wedge body. All four knife edges must be started and enter the log or billet being split at the same time. This is a most difficult task to initiate wedge entry and avoid wedge fly-out during the initial sledgehammer blows, even more difficult than normally is involved using the traditional single wedge.
Accordingly, there has been an existing need in the art for a reliable quartering wedge for splitting firewood which may be readily entered and easily and safely driven to provide split quarters from logs of many sizes, more rapidly than such logs may be split using the traditional wedge.